Terminalia chebula
Chebulic Myrobalan
Terminalia chebula is a tree in the Combretaceae family, found wild in the forests of India and surrounding countries at high altitudes, that produces a fruit known as a myrobalan. The herb is known as Haritaki, Chebulic myrobalan, Bihara, and Harada in different dialects, and is one of the three fruits found in the traditional formulation of Triphala. It is named Haritaki after ‘harita’, which means green, and because it is sacred to Lord Shiva, known as ‘Hara,’ and grows in the Himalayas where Lord Shiva was thought to reside. Haritaki is a very important herb in Ayurveda, thought to promote fearlessness, feed the brain and nervous system, and bring awareness and wisdom. The Buddha is often portrayed in Tibetan sacred pictures with a Haritaki fruit in his hand.